IGN Test: "Ultra" Quality Is a Scam – No Visible Difference from "High"

Summary

Recently, IGN conducted a controversial graphics comparison test. Using a top-tier gaming setup – an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D CPU paired with a PowerColor Red Devil RX 7900 XTX GPU – they compared "Ultra" and one-step-lower "High" settings across four AAA titles at 4K resolution. The surprising conclusion: in most cases, players can hardly tell the difference between Ultra and High, yet the performance cost is enormous. In Cyberpunk 2077, enabling Ray Tracing Overdrive, path tracing, and DLSS quality mode resulted in a slideshow-like 20 FPS. However, switching DLSS to balanced mode made the game playable with almost no visual difference. Even more striking, when the tester turned off ray tracing entirely and kept only Ultra settings, Night City still looked stunning thanks to CD Projekt Red's baked lighting. This test has sparked widespread discussion in the gaming community: is Ultra quality just a marketing gimmick? Is the performance hit worth it? For average players, choosing High instead of Ultra can often yield a significant FPS boost with virtually no loss in visual experience. This also prompts players to reconsider the cost-effectiveness of graphics settings. IGN's test does not deny the value of visual upgrades, but rather reminds players and the industry to balance visual fidelity with actual performance. For hardware vendors and game developers, optimizing settings so…